Event

'What are A-Levels for': roundtable

04 Sep 2012

million+ has published a report of the roundtable it held on 4 September in the House of Commons. The full report can be read here.

The roundtable brought together representatives from Parliament business, regulators and education, including our host and Education Select Committee Chair, Graham Stuart MP, Kevin Brennan MP (Shadow Schools Minister), Baroness Sal Brinton (Liberal Democrat peer), Glenys Stacey (Chief Executive, Ofqual), Neil Carberry (Director for Employment and Skills, CBI) and Geoff Coombe (Director of General Qualifications Development, AQA). The round-table was chaired by Pam Tatlow (Chief Executive, million+).

Participants discussed issues from whether A-levels are 'fit for purpose' to the timetable of proposed reforms. There was general concern that the phased timetable  - in which some A levels would be revised before others - was unfeasible and would create an unbalanced system.

Suggestions going forward included establishing national subject committees with involvement from all stakeholders to develop A-level subjects, to ensure A-levels incorporated a set of core skills and related to next steps for students whether that was university, the workplace or elsewhere.